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Archive for October, 2016

There is nothing worse than failing at the last hurdle by not being offered a place at your desired university. On top of that, imagine the misery of being told you can’t sit the course you’ve set your heart on.

Sadly, it’s more common than you imagine. Just applying isn’t enough!

Given that many undergraduate course deadlines are mid January, take a serious look at how you can improve your personal statement – and your opportunities.

How to give your personal statement the WOW factor

Here’s a useful round-up of tips from current university lecturers and our own experienced tutors on what NOT to do:

Don’t sit on the fence. Applications for both engineering and medical courses, for instance, show a passion for neither.

Given that course leaders would be sceptical about a student’s motivations if they didn’t focus on a specific course, you could end up being rejected for both. Is it worth it?

Research the specific course carefully to understand its structure, modules, choices. Start with online prospectuses. Look for links to more information.

The more you drill down into the course and pull out specifics, the more you will show a university lecturer you are genuinely interested and excited by the course.

Avoid clichés… Phrases such as, ‘From a young age I’ve been interested in…’ or ‘Ever since I was young..’ or ‘I’ve always been…’ don’t go down well. Instead, universities want to know what’s shaped your most recent experiences.

Avoid quotes. Universities have seen a deluge of applications starting with a quote. Many institutions see this as glib, and insincere. Instead focus on opening your statement with genuine enthusiasm.

Universities want to read about YOUR real passion for the subject – not tired phrases.

Edit and spell check. If your application is littered with spelling and grammar errors – as well as poor sentence structure – the message you’re giving to the reader is that you don’t care enough to write an accurate application.

Ask a close friend to to go through it for you, read the statement out loud, and then leave it for a while to revisit your writing with fresh eyes.

A level tuition and statement support

At 121 Home Tutors, you have the pick of the crop of A level tutors and teachers across Manchester and Cheshire:

It’s October. By now, your child’s new timetable will be in full flow – with set homework on regular days and after-school clubs to squeeze in. But if you are like many of the parents who contact us, it’s this time of the school year when workload problems surface.

Perhaps you’ve experienced these issues?

Homework sheets and letters lost

Detentions for forgetting homework

You not knowing when homework is set

Chaos most mornings tracking down kit, exercise books, pens

Of course, it’s harder these days to manage your children’s time if you work until late, or you have two or more children – all with typically different timetables. Worry not.. We have some useful tips to help.

How to help your children keep on top of their studies

Stick to a homework routine. Agree a time for your child to do their homework. It might be between 5-6pm, or 5.30pm-6.30pm. This gives your child the chance to have some time off before and after studying time.

Check planners regularly. Checking your child’s planner isn’t spying. It’s to help you help them keep track of everything. If you have a fill in calendar for each child, you can transfer any key dates to it so information isn’t lost. Plus, because teachers often write comments in planners, intended for you, it’s worth checking every few days.

Print out a timetable for home. The best way to keeping track of tomorrow’s lessons today is to keep a copy of the timetable where everyone can see it. You could colour code lessons: green for PE kit, for instance, or homework due days. Even ‘HW set’ or ‘HW due’ initials can help you pinpoint what matters each day. Bag packing the night before will be easier too.

Is your child overwhelmed by a subject this year?

Struggling children find it hard to improve by themselves. With a private tutor on hand, it can make all the difference. If you’re looking for support for your child whether at primary or secondary school, call 121 Home Tutors today.

With a fabulous team across Cheshire and Manchester, you can count on getting the help your child needs.